Cedar Rapids Kennedy girls snap 31-year Drake Relays title drought

DES MOINES — The Swartzendruber twins had a day, that’s for sure.

A little disappointment, yes. And a massive breakthrough.

A junior and the younger of the talented twins, Sidney Swartzendruber blazed from behind Friday morning at Drake Stadium to give Cedar Rapids Kennedy its first Drake Relays girls’ championship in 31 years.

Kennedy’s quartet of Quren Hullon, Morgan Hospodarsky, Addison Swartzendruber and Sidney Swartzendruber won the sprint medley relay in 1 minute, 46.10 seconds.

The Cougars were in seventh place when Sidney got the stick, but she anchored in 55.0 seconds to pull it out.

“I was just thinking of this flag right here,” Swartzendruber said, giving it a wave. “We’ve been dreaming of this, and it happened.”

Kennedy’s most recent Drake girls’ glory had come in 1992.

“It feels amazing,” Hullon said.

The twins’ father, Greg, was on a Kennedy boys’ 3,200-meter relay title team a generation ago.

Solon’s Aly Stahle, Mia Stahle, Sophia Stahle, Gracie Federspiel were second in 1:47.35.

“Obviously, we wanted to win, but we were 11th here last year, so to perform at this high of a level is awesome,” Federspiel said. “Win or lose, we made a lot of progress.”

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Friday’s Drake Relays live updates, results

Sidney Swartzendruber did not place Friday in the 800 meters, an event in which she was favored, but she and Addison were 2-3 behind Panorama’s Jaidyn Sellers in the 400.

Sellers closed fast to win it in 56.24, then it was Sidney (56.87) and Addison (57.29).

“I tried as hard as I could,” Sidney said. “I’ve been at it all day.”

It was a 12-hour day of competition for the twins, who were slated to run in the 1,600-meter relay preliminaries Friday night, after press time.

The twins certainly were quality competitors last year, but have elevated their status as juniors.

“I think it’s just consistency,” Addison said. “We try to work toward our goals all the time.”

Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Naomi Durin (100 hurdles) and Center Point-Urbana’s Sydney Maue (high jump) earned fourth-place finishes.

Drake Relays: Friday girls results

Shot put — 1. Charlee Morton (Hampton-Dumont/CAL), 43-3 1/2; 2. Audi Crooks (Algona Garrigan), 42-10 3/4; 3. Jorie Hanenburg (North Scott), 42-1 3/4; Ashlyn Finarty (Knoxville), 40-6; 5. Katelyn Grady (Sheldon), 40-4 1/4; 6. Chloe Reiser (Decorah), 40-2 1/2; 7. Emily Baker (Bedford), 40-1; 8. Lauren Travis (Spirit Lake), 40-0 3/4.

High jump — 1. Maddie Olson (Sheldon), 5-8; 2. London Warmuth (Adel ADM), 5-6; 3. Reagan Hanfelt (Ankeny), 5-6; 4. Sydney Maue (Center Point-Urbana), 5-6; 5. Josie Moreland (Waukee), 5-6; 6. Keely Collins (Charles City), 5-6; 7. (tie) Carlee Rochford (New Hampton) and Rachel Schany (Emmetsburg), 5-4.

Distance medley relay — 1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (Hullon, Hospodarsky, A. Swartzendruber, S. Swartzendruber), 1:46.10; 2. Solon, 1:47.35; 3. West Des Moines Dowling, 1:47.53; 4. Dubuque Wahlert, 1:47.63; 5. Bettendorf, 1:48.00; 6. Ames, 1:48.12; 7. Waukee Northwest, 1:48.59; 8. Johnston, 1:48.70.

100 hurdles — 1. Ali Frandsen (Ames), 14.33; 2. Jerra Merchant (Spencer), 14.85; 3. Olivia Kramer (West Des Moines Dowling), 15.09; 4. Naomi Durin (Cedar Rapids Xavier), 15.09; 5. Alex Gaskell (West Des Moines Dowling), 15.30; 6. Grace Braden (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 15.37; 7. Arriana Johnson (Des Moines Roosevelt), 18.89.

800 relay — 1. Waukee Northwest (Madison, Carnes, Van Zetten, Winter), 1:41.33; 2. Ames, 1:42.06; 3. West Des Moines Dowling, 1:42.45; 4. Adel ADM, 1:42.84; 5. Waukee, 1:43.26; 6. Johnston, 1:43.72; 7. Dubuque Wahlert, 1:43.78; 8. Decorah, 1:44.00.

800 — 1. Adrienne Buettner-Cable (Des Moines Roosevelt), 2:10.62; 2. Clare Kelly (Van Meter), 2:10.81; 3. Madison Brouwer (Sibley-Ocheyedan), 2:12.03; 4. Keelee Leitzen (Dubuque Hempstead), 2:12.80; 5. Kadence Huck (Nashua-Plainfield), 2:12.82; 6. Grace Boleyn (Pleasant Valley), 2:13.12; 7. Noelle Steines (Calamus-Wheatland), 2:13.78; 8. Ani Wedemeyer (Iowa City High), 2:14.22.

100 — 1. Jaidyn Sellers (Panorama), 12.23; 2. Jessica Kyne (Des Moines Hoover), 12.34; 3. Olivia Kramer (West Des Moines Dowling), 12.49; 4. Makayla Crannell (Adel ADM), 12.53; 5. Alexis Boord (Southeast Polk), 12.57; 6. Elliana Harris (Sioux City East), 12.60; 7. Tierney Huss (MOC-Floyd Valley), 12.62; 8. Meghan McDonald (Dubuque Wahlert), 12.74.

400 — 1. Jaidyn Sellers (Panorama), 56.24; 2. Sidney Swartzendruber (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 56.87; 3. Addison Swartzendruber (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 57.29; 4. Kadence Huck (Nashua-Plainfield), 57.81; 5. Lauren McCoy (West Des Moines Dowling), 57.81; 6. Reese Brownlee (Clear Lake), 57.87; 7. Gracie Federspiel (Solon), 58.52; 8. Anjelena Carder (Waukee), 58.63.

Elite Mile — late

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com